From Trump’s better self: Let’s lose the ‘Send her back’ chant

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Hello, it’s me, Donald Trump’s better self. I know you don’t see me or hear from me very often. The boss keeps me locked up pretty tight, and the air holes in my box are small, and I just noticed he’s started to put tape over them. So before I expire completely, I just wanted to say one last thing.

Let’s not make “Send her back” the new chant at all the rallies, every time the boss brings up U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar’s name, which he apparently plans to do at every rally until further notice.

Omar’s not perfect, and sometimes expresses herself in ways that feed the flames against her. She should figure out how to cut down on references that seem to reflect anti-Semitic tropes for example. I believe she’s working on that, although I don’t know.

But if you can let go of your tribal anger over the browning of America, perhaps you can see that the story of a child who fled from one of the poorest, most dangerous countries in the world to make a better life in America, and has risen, Jimmy Stewart-like (that’s a reference to “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”) to a seat in Congress, is a pretty amazing, inspiring tale of a sort that could make us proud of our system.

Yes, she’s liberal, maybe rad-lib. If you’re conservative, you are completely entitled to disagree with everything she stands for as a substantive political matter. Do it. Express your views, while respecting those who disagree. After all, they’re the ones you have to persuade, unless you plan to deport everyone who disagrees with you.

Support her next opponent. Send him or her money. Go to Minneapolis and door-knock.

But don’t chant “Send her back.” It’s beneath you. It’s even worse than “Lock her up.” Look this square in the face. What are you becoming? You claim to be patriotic Americans who believe in the American dream. We don’t lock up those with whom we disagree, and we don’t deport them.

***

Addendum to the above post: When I wrote the piece above, speaking on behalf of Donald Trump’s better self, I was unaware that the actual Donald Trump has now said he doesn’t agree with the “Send her back” chant.

According to this Washington Post piece, Trump says he disagrees with the chant. Asked why he didn’t try to stop it, he said he did try to stop it by immediately talking over it. In fact, the Post reports, Trump paused for 13 seconds while the chant rose and spread through the crowd. So, a small lie, on the Trumpian scale, but at least he says he agrees with my imaginary version of Trump’s better self that chanting “Send her back” when Omar’s name is mentioned is wrong.

We’ll see if that ends it. If he means what he says, the next time the chant starts, he should do more than pause 13 seconds to let it build. He should tell the chanters that he disagrees, tell them why, and tell them to cut it out.

The Post follow-up piece also included remarks from Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer, who chairs the National Republican Congressional Committee. Emmer agreed with Trump’s most recent line, saying there was “no place for that kind of [send her back] talk.”

But, the Post reported, Emmer also defended Trump for his tweets that suggested Omar and the three other minority lawmakers should “go back” to their ancestral countries. Emmer said “there’s not a racist bone in Trump’s body.” He went on to label the four young women Democrats known as “the Squad” as socialists, and said they are and should be considered the face and voice of the entire Democratic Party, which he said “should be called the new red army of socialists.”

I will seek an interview with Emmer to discuss this.

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Veteran journalist Eric Black writes Eric Black Ink for MinnPost. His latest award is from the Society of Professional Journalists, which in May 2017 announced he'd won the national Sigma Delta Chi Award for online column writing.

Emmer and also Kevin McCarthy today expressed dismay at the “Send her back” chant. So I guess they see something wrong with that and yet all is Okie Dokie when Trump says:

“Go back to where you came from”

Seems a fine distinction.

Keen analysis would say these guys are quick to criticize the transgressions of red hatted hayseeds from North Carolina and allow any amount of outrageous behavior from Trump. They should expect better from an extremely stable genius.

Criticism of Our Beloved Leader is too much, but it’s okay to shake one’s finger disapprovingly at the attendees at a rally. You see, by repeating what Trump says, they are bringing shame on him, and we can’t allow that.

Trump accomplished his goal of putting ideas in his supporters heads, they are good to go, and he can disavow the intent, but the goal was achieved. One of Trumps henchmen said one day Trump doesn’t give direct orders, he talks in strong suggestions. That way he feels he stays in the clear. I think the New York court will put an end to him being in the clear. We have spent an inordinate amount of time in the last few years trying to figure out Trump when it should be doctors doing the analysis. Trump is a very sick man and the country is wasting it’s time trying to figure him out. Narcissistic personality disorder — one of several types of personality disorders — is a mental condition in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance, a deep need for excessive attention and admiration, troubled relationships, and a lack of empathy for others. Bingo!

What I’m hearing are echoes of Rome and Munich and Nuremberg from the 1930s, made more disturbing by Congressional enablers unable or – perhaps more accurately – unwilling to criticize the titular head of their political party, no matter how loathsome his speech and behavior might be, because such criticism might have a negative effect on their political careers, or worse, because they personally agree with what he’s done and said.

Those insisting that Trump “doesn’t have a racist bone in his body” demonstrate that they have no functioning moral compass, and their opinions of the words and deeds of Mr. Trump are worthless. That being the case they also demonstrate that they have no business being in a public office that supposedly serves the public.

Trump says, “He doesn’t have a racist bone in his body”. He’s right, never thought I would agree with Trump, it is his brain that worries me as it is infected with racism.

Trump’s rallies serve two purposes. First, they feed his massive ego which he uses to hide his massive insecurities, secondly, he feeds his supporters with fake information. Trump has driven the decency right out of his supporters, who were at some point decent people. America was best when we worked together to do the best for everyone. Compromise was not a dirty word. Back when America wasn’t infected with Trump we were respected by most of the world. Following Trump’s hatred, prejudice, and rage will only turn you into a person in the image of Trump, a person filled with hatred, prejudice, and rage. Think about it, is that really what you want to be? If so, you need to quit aiming at the floor as your goal.

Trump is so proud of himself that he has gathered so many mindless followers. He welcomes those willing to stroke his ego to give him what he needs. In return you get nothing except a night out with a sorry excuse of a human. The only thing you need to know about Trump is it is all about him.

An interview with Rep. Emmer is a great idea. It seems his bar is extremely low for what he regards as acceptable presidential material. When it comes time to defending his line “there isn’t a racist bone in Trump’s body” one hopes the interviewer can cite the volumes of evidence that contradict that. Better yet, know that one needn’t look into someone’s heart to detect racism, more important is a politician’s record of exploiting the racism and religious bigotry in others, a case for which even more Trumpian volumes could be written.

The late Robert Byrd is an apt reference. A youthful zealous KKK leader, he publicly “reformed” into a decent human being for at least his last couple of decades as a senator. Did he repent racism in is heart? Doesn’t matter, his public record is what counted.

No doubt Emmer also has a “better self.” That’s not evident in a politico realizing it’s necessary to defend a congress member from his own state. If he has a better self he’d denounce Trump, period, and support his replacement (instead of looking for ways to smear the opposition with the S word).

I have come to the conclusion that Trump has no side where he would feel genuine remorse about anything he has done. If it worked to further his journey to his ends he will continue on in the same vein. If there is significant enough push-back, he will modify the message, draw back, and resume the push shortly thereafter.

With respect to race, I see him representing the interests of a white male wealthy class which, oddly enough, is his class. Because, right now in a democracy, the white male wealthy demographic is too small, he is engaging as many voters he can by inciting whatever anger he can–because what really has he done to improve the lives of any other class or group? His most lucrative and plausible group of followers are the less wealthy white people, because they aspire to what Trump is. And who has been the bugaboo of “real” America since the days when it was great?

This is a person willing to burn down the house of democracy to attain the ultimate power that he see enjoyed by the various tyrants he has encountered. That road starts with the division of the people into “real” and “other” categories.

What a sad figure Tom Emmer now is: He has sold his soul for Donald Trump–and a power position in the GOP election campaigns nationally– where he cannot reveal the truth of his thoughts and feelings about the boor who is president these days.

Emmer represents the moral and ethical bankruptcy of the Republican Party today, as it has sunk to the lowest levels of discourse and behaviors as all menmbers of the party mimic the very worst of Donald Trump..